# Rules on "Spoils of War"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-on-spoils-of-war/164077>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 25, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-on-spoils-of-war/164077 "2003-03-25T17:52:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-on-spoils-of-war/164077/1 "2003-03-25T17:52:27Z")

</div>

Does the US military have rules for spoils of war?

I just saw a picture of CNN of 4 or 5 soldiers posing with a large SH painting. Would they be allowed to keep something like that?

What about other things like uniforms or helmets captured from the enemy?

If there are rules, if they are broken what is the punishment?

I’m just asking because I think quite a bit of Nazi material was brought back to the America by US soldiers.

MtM

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-on-spoils-of-war/164077/2 "2003-03-25T18:34:56Z")

</div>

If there _are_ rules about the collecting of war souvenirs, they’ve been broken [a very long time.](http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=%22war+souvenirs%22+&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![QuizCustodet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ba0ec/32.png) [@QuizCustodet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuizCustodet)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-on-spoils-of-war/164077/3 "2003-03-25T19:35:10Z")

</div>

Disclaimer: I’m not a full-time soldier, only in the OTC - British version of ROTC.

I have, however, had training on dealing with enemy POWs. Soldiers are permitted to remove weapons and ammunition from a prisoner, but cannot remove items of uniform or protective items like helmets. So no taking souvenirs from POWs.

That leaves taking things from the dead (pretty icky place to get souvenirs, IMHO, but it might well look different on the ground.) or from supply depots. WAG: a lot of it will probably depend on your chain of command and your discretion. Taking a helmet/flag not belonging to a POW would probably not be an issue unless someone further up the chain of command made it one. Capturing Kuwaiti bullion a la Three Kings would probably be frowned on. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-on-spoils-of-war/164077/4 "2003-03-25T20:11:43Z")

</div>

Political material seems OK. Personal goods are right out- (although the Iraqi’s looted Kuwait seriously, they took everything that wasn’t nailed down- and quite a bit that was). War items are a “depends”, like Quiz said. Most things can’t be taken from POW’s (although I thought helmets were OK? Or is that just from WWII?), and still nothing personal from bodies, barracks etc. No looting banks- but the US Government can confiscate all the actual funds, gold bars, ect that the Iraqi government has, and I would guess this could extend to Saddams undoubted huge piles of treasure.